LETTER192

letter192

charleslambtomisswordsworth

(addedtosameletter)

maryhasleftalittlespaceformetofillupwithnonsense,asthegeographersusedtocrammonstersinthevoidsoftheirmaps&callitterraincognita.shehastoldyouhowshehastakentowater,likeahungryotter.itoolimpafterherinlameimitation,butitgoesagainstmealittleatfirst.ihavebeenaquavorousnowforfullfourdays,anditseemsamoon.iamfullofcramps&rheumatisms,andcoldinternallysothatfirewon'twarmme,yetibearallforvirtuessake.mustithenleaveyou,gin,rum,brandy,aquavitae—pleasantjollyfellows—damntemperanceandthemthatfirstinventedit,someantinoahite.coleridgehaspowderedhishead,andlookslikehus,huseversleekandyoung.heisgoingtoturnsober,buthisclockhasnotstruckyet,meantimehepoursdowngobletaftergoblet,the2dtoseewherethe1stisgone,the3dtoseenoharmhappenstothesecond,afourthtosaythere'sanothercoming,anda5thtosayhe'snotsurehe'sthelast.williamhenshawisdead.hediedyesterday,aged56.itwasbutatwelvemonthorsobackthathisfather,anancientgunsmith&mygodfather,soundedmeastomywillingnesstobeguardiantothiswilliamincaseofhis(theoldman's)death.williamhadthreetimesbrokeinbusiness,twiceinengland,onceint'otherhemisphere.hereturnedfromamericaasot&hathliquidatedalldebts.whatahopefulwardiamridof.Ætatis56.imusthavetakencareofhismorals,seenthathedidnotformimprudentconnections,givenmyconsentbeforehecouldhavemarried&c.fromallwhichthestrokeofdeathhathrelievedme.mrs.reynoldsisthenameoftheladytowhomiwillrememberyouto-morrow.farewell.wishmestrengthtocontinue.i'vebeeneating'dhare.thetoast&watermakesmequitesick.

c.lamb.

[aftertheprecedinglettermarylambhadbeentakenill—butnot,ithink,mentally—anddorothywordsworth'svisitwasputoff.

coleridge,thefriendhavingceased,hadcometolondonwiththemontagusonoctober26tostaywiththemindefinitelyat55frithstreet,soho.butafewdaysafterhisarrivalmontaguhadinadvisedlyrepeatedwhatheunjustifiablycalledawarningphraseofwordsworth'sconcerningcoleridge'sdifficulthabitsasaguest—theword"nuisance"beingmentioned—andthishadsoplungedcoleridgeingriefthatheleftsohoforhammersmith,wherehisfriendsthemorganswereliving.montagu'sindiscretionledtoaquarrelbetweencoleridgeandwordsworthwhichwaslongofhealing.thisisnoplaceinwhichtotellthestory,whichhassmallpartinlamb'slife;butitledtooneofthefewlettersfromcoleridgetolambthathavebeenpreserved(seemr.e.h.coleridge'seditionofcoleridge'sletters,page586).

carlislewassiranthonycarlisle(1768-1840),thesurgeonandafriendoflamb.

"thespanishlady"—madami.seerobinson'sdiary,1869,vol.

i.,page303.

"phillips."thiswouldbenedphillips,ipresume,notthecolonel.ihavenotdiscoveredforwhatposthewastrying.

"thelittlekatherine."catherinewordsworth,bornseptember6,1808,livedonlyuntiljune4,1812.

"ihavebeenaquavorous."writingtodorothywordsworthondecember23crabbrobinsonsaysthatlambhasabstainedfromalcoholandosincelordmayor'sday(november9).

"williamhenshaw."iknownothingmoreofthisunfortunateman.]